Albert, Mouillierat score twice to help extend IceCaps’ win streak to five

ST. JOHN’S, NL — Charged by two-goal outings from both John Albert and Kael Mouillierat, the streaking St. John’s IceCaps won their fifth straight by downing the Binghamton Senators 6-2 Friday night at Mile One Centre.

Adam Lowry and Eric O’Dell had the other goals for St. John’s, while Michael Hutchinson turned aside 26-of-28 to earn the victory.

The IceCaps opened the scoring just over five minutes into the opening frame, on a goal from Lowry. Taking a behind-the-net feed from Jerome Samson, Lowry – parked in front – shook off Binghamton pressure and fired it between the legs of Nathan Lawson to make it 1-0.

Albert extended the IceCaps’ lead to two at 12:21 on the man advantage, when he notched his 16th of the season. With the IceCaps breaking into the Senators’ zone on the rush, Albert cashed in on Jason Jaffrey and Andrew Gordon’s give-and-go play by scooping up the rebound from Jaffray’s shot and sending it top shelf.

Just 30 seconds later, St. John’s struck again. Mouillierat picked up the loose puck in the circle after a turnover and moved in front, before backhanding it over the blocker of Lawson to send the IceCaps to the dressing room with a 3-0 cushion.

In the second period, Mouillierat – scoring his second straight goal – put the IceCaps up by four midway through the frame. Set up by Albert from behind the goal, Mouillierat took the pass and sent it over the blocker of Lawson to make it 4-0.

With less than a minute left in the period, Albert picked up his second tally of the contest just as time expired on the Binghamton power play. Powering his way past the defence at the Senators blue line, Albert busted in on goal all alone and fired a wrist shot that eluded Lawson to make it 5-0.

In the final frame, St. John’s picked up where it left off at 2:38 by adding another goal – this time from O’Dell, on a penalty shot – to lengthen to lead to six. Rushing in on Lawson with a head of steam, O’Dell pulled it back before picking the twine to the stick side.

Buddy Robinson got the Senators on the board at 7:53, however, when he took the pass from Daniel New and fired it upstairs on Hutchinson to cut the deficit to five.

Then, with the Senators on a 5-on-3 man advantage, Jean-Gabriel Pageau connected on a cross-crease dish from Mark Stone at 10:14, wristing it blocker side past a helpless Hutchinson to draw his team within four.

That would be as close as Binghamton got, however, as the IceCaps finished strong to earn the 6-2 victory.

The IceCaps look to extend their winning streak to six Saturday night (7:30 PM NT), as they close out their two-game series against the Senators at Mile One Centre. Catch all the action with broadcaster Brian Rogers on Rogers TV, www.stjohnsicecaps.com and 930 AM, or watch online at www.ahllive.com. Pregame show gets thirty minutes before puck drop.

Notes: Not dressed for St. John’s: Kris Fredheim, Cody Lampl, Ryan Schnell, Josh Lunden, Austen Brassard, Eddie Pasquale… Kyle MacKinnon extended his point streak to five games… St. John’s went 2-for-9 on the power play and killed off 4-of-5 shorthanded situations… Molson Canadian Three Stars: 1. John Albert 2. Kael Mouillierat 3. Adam Lowry… Mary Brown’s Hardest Working Player: Kyle MacKinnon.